Is it showing up in your holiday sales reports? The National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) shows that on November 27, 2015 (Black Friday) it processed 185,345 transactions, making it not only the highest Black Friday ever, but also the highest day in NICS history! The previous record holder was December 21, 2012, ending the day with 177,170 background checks, exactly one week following the tragic Sandy Hook school shooting.
Of the top 10 NICS check day days ever, 4 have occurred on Black Fridays. The next three preceding this year’s record were as follows:
- 175,754 on November 28, 2014
- 154,873 on November 23, 2012
- 144,758 on November 29, 2013
On this year’s Black Friday four day sales block (November 26-29) 368,774 checks were made, a 9.9 percent increase from the 335,555 checks undertaken during 2014’s Black Friday sales period. It is important to note that these statistics only represent the number of firearm background checks run through the NICS and do not represent one-for-one the number of firearms purchased.
This may be a sign that FFL dealers can look forward to a great holiday sales season. While the number of firearm background checks run does not necessarily reflect firearm sales, it does indicated trends. We’ll just have to see how the season plays out through the end of the year.
